The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has taken the unprecedented step of refusing to send its national team to India for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to commence on February 7, with the decision rooted in profound concerns over player safety following the Board of Control for Cricket in India's directive to release star pacer Mustafizur Rahman from his Indian Premier League contract with Kolkata Knight Riders.
On January 4, 2026, Bangladesh's youth and sports adviser Asif Nazrul publicly announced the BCB's resolution via his official Facebook page, framing the move as a principled stand against what he described as the "radical communal policies" of the Indian cricket establishment, while expressing full support for the board's determination to prioritize national dignity and team security amid strained bilateral relations.
An emergency meeting of the BCB, attended by 17 directors on Sunday, culminated in the formal decision to notify the International Cricket Council through an official letter, explicitly requesting that all four of Bangladesh's scheduled group-stage matches—three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai—be relocated to co-host Sri Lanka to ensure uninterrupted participation without compromising player welfare.
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BCB director Khaled Mashud Pilot articulated the core reasoning behind the boycott, posing a direct challenge to Indian authorities by questioning the feasibility of guaranteeing security for the entire squad when even a single player's participation in a domestic league was deemed untenable, further revealing plans to demand a written clarification from the BCCI on Rahman's release and to withdraw his previously issued No Objection Certificate for the IPL.
This escalating standoff poses a major logistical and diplomatic challenge for the ICC, led by chairman Jay Shah, as it threatens to disrupt the carefully planned tournament structure, particularly coming on the heels of the already relocated India-Pakistan encounter under the hybrid model, potentially forcing additional venue shifts and intensifying scrutiny on the governance of international cricket amid rising geopolitical tensions in the region.
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